M. Járó - L. Költő szerk.: Archaeometrical research in Hungary (Budapest, 1988)

Analysis - ÓVÁRI Ferenc: On the metrology of antoniniani originating in the 3rd century

Table 4 Average mass data of antoniniani or Smyrna's hoard Groups total mass g coins average mass g deviation from basic in% Table 1-4 summarised deviat. from basic in% IMP. GORDIANUS .. 180552 415 435 0.00 0.00 IMP. CAES ... 80259 184 436 • 3.21 • 3.75 antiochia! 276.43 63 438 • 850 • 3.96 GORDIANUS summ. 2884.94 662 435 IMP. M. IVL. PHILIPPUS -1257.00 296 4.25 _ 2.45 - 2.20 IMP. PHILIPPUS AUG 502.75 122 4.12 - 5.29 - 5.10 antiochia 16.88 4 422 _ 259 t 0.00 OTAC ILLA 15.62 4 3.90 -1035 - 2.90 PHILIPPUS II 148.00 37 4.00 - 8.05 - 4.50 antiochia — — — — - 220 DECIUS 206.01 54 3-81 -12.42 - 6.00 antiochia — — — — - 3.10 ETRUSCILLA 3:61 1 3.61 -17.02 - 6.40 The CONSECRATIO iusses of the DIVI 650 2 325 -2529 - 830 ETRUSCUS 4224 11 3.84 -17.73 -10.80 H. QVINTUS 11.49 3 3.83 -1156 -1320 DECIUS and family 269.85 71 3.80 GALLUS 27.16 7 3.88 -10.81 -17.00 antiochia — — — — - 9.99 VOLUSIANUS 1825 5 3.65 -16.10 -1920 antiochia — — — — - 7.70 GALLUS and VOLUSIANUS summ. 45.41 12 3.78 AEMILÍANUS 624 2 3.12 -2828 -14.20 More accurate information can be obtained about the inflation by considering the data of Walker's [17] X-ray fluorescence analysis. Walker's integrated result can be seen in Table 7. Using the average mass of antoniniani of the hoards the absolute silver content of coins is summarized in Table 8. Bearing in mind that the antoniniani of mass of 5 g and of 50% silver content were introduced by Caracalla in 214, the silver content of coins diminished only by 05 g during the first thirty years. Afterwards, the decline in silver content was the same during the short interval of the years 249—53. Later on, silver practically disappeared from the coins struck during Valerian's and Gallian's reign. The function of silver antoniniani was performed by billon's until the monetary reform of Diocletian.